Unexpected Arrivals
by Emery Saks
Summary: After spending two weeks in Des Moines on business, Harold Hill is eager to return home to his wife; however, his amorous greeting has an unexpected effect that isn't immediately realized.
1. A Joyful Reunion

_For my friend, Sarah, who constantly encourages me to avoid mediocrity and to pursue stories that challenge me. _

xxx

Harold Hill was exhausted. After a whirlwind two-week business excursion to Des Moines, the harried music professor was eager to be home. Happy to return the well wishes of those he passed as he made his way down Center Street, Harold reflected on the changes that had greeted him upon his arrival to Des Moines. He hadn't visited the city since his and Marian's honeymoon almost six years ago. During his absence, the city had expanded and grown becoming even more of a thriving metropolitan than it had during his last trip. On his first lonely night at the hotel, he was reminded of a similar visit back in November 1912. That time, he'd been struggling with the weighty decision of abandoning his bachelorhood and allowing River City's lovely librarian to share his name forever. He'd spent several sleepless nights wrestling with the idea of marriage until one evening, he was struck with startling clarity and realized that nothing in his life would matter if Marian Paroo wasn't a part of it.

That decision finally settled, he'd returned to River City with a light heart and proposed to his dear librarian soon after. Two months later found Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hill returning to Des Moines for their honeymoon. Although it had gotten off to a rocky start, the two quickly worked through their troubles and spent the remainder of the week exploring their love for each other in the wonderful and new avenues presented to them.

After experiencing Des Moines in a haze of wedded bliss, the previous two weeks in the city without Marian had been difficult. Harold had become accustomed to her warmth nestled beside him as he drifted to sleep at night. The smell of her perfume filling their bathroom had become a familiar welcome as he began his day, and although he would admit to enjoying the relative quiet, he still missed the boisterous shouts of their son, Eli. His "little shadow" as Marian so often called the boy, was his pride, and he reveled in opportunities to spend time with the son he never expected to have.

As the familiar white gate came into view, Harold felt his heart beat faster. Quickening his pace, he hurried through the entrance and bounded up the stairs, wincing when he tripped over the top step and uttering a soft curse as he caught himself against the post. Decidedly eager to experience his wife's welcoming his embrace, he fumbled with his key to the front door, but before he could slide the key inside the lock, the door swung open and light spilled out from the hallway. Glancing up, he saw Marian standing before him, her hazel eyes wide with surprise. Harold's breath caught as he drank in the sight of her. Blonde curls tumbled around her shoulders and her spectacles were charmingly perched on her nose. She carried a book in her hand, and he was delighted to note she was clad merely in a sheer lingerie frock that was affording him a rather tantalizing view of her curves, courtesy of the light from the hallway.

A teasing comment regarding her choice of attire when answering their door hovered on Harold's tongue, but when his usually-reserved wife unexpectedly threw her arms around his neck and pressed her familiar curves against him, it faded away. Although never shy about expressing her affection in the privacy of their home, Marian always maintained a respectable air of propriety when in public. So it came as quite a shock to have her in his arms, on their front porch, clad only in a dressing gown. But Harold was never a man to disregard an opportunity, so quickly slipping his arms around her waist, he pulled his wife close and returned her embrace.

"Harold! I didn't think you were arriving home until tomorrow!"

Her pleased tone was not lost on Harold, who smiled into her hair and tightened his arms around her. "I missed you, darling. I couldn't wait until tomorrow."

Marian pulled back to gaze at him. "I missed you, too. Every day and every night." Nestling her head on his shoulder, she sighed, "I can't believe you're home."

Harold simply stroked her curls by way of response and savored his wife's presence in his arms. But as they stood there, a stray memory flitted through his mind. He was struck by the striking similarity this reunion had with one several years ago. Amused, he chuckled aloud and quipped, "Well, if this isn't déjà vu."

Marian lifted her head to give him a puzzled frown. Grinning, Harold gestured to her ensemble. "I seem to recall being greeted in a similar manner a few years ago, although I believe there was a tea cup involved last time, not a book."

Marian continued to stare at him in confusion until the significance of what he said registered in her mind. "Oh!" she finally responded. "I had almost forgotten." She smiled, and a faint blush colored her cheeks. She lowered her eyes in mild embarrassment. "I can't believe you still remember that," she chastised softly.

Harold reached forward and gently tipped his wife's face toward his. "How could I ever forget such a sight?" he replied with a smile, but there was an undercurrent of brevity in his voice that belied his light words. His manner became serious when he discerned the longing in his wife's eyes, and he slid a hand behind her head to sink his fingers into her curls, insistently tugging her closer. "As I recall, I was unable to properly greet you the last time I returned alone from Des Moines." His mood lightening, he gave her a thoughtful look, then smiled mischievously. "However, I don't believe I have any such constraints now."

Marian's soft gasp amused Harold almost as much as the unconscious step she took backward when he moved toward her, but he pressed forward, his foot snaking out to push the door closed with a solid thud. Behind closed doors and assured of their privacy at last, Harold stared at his wife for a silent moment, eyes roving over her lithe form and drinking in her loveliness while mentally cataloging every desire that was racing through his mind.

Harold grinned. "Did you have anything planned this evening?"

"I _was_ reading in the parlor," Marian pointed out with a wry smile, her amusement briefly displacing the longing that had been present since his arrival. "But I was distracted by such a commotion on the porch that I was forced to come and investigate."

"Commotion?" Harold scoffed. "I merely tripped."

"_Commotion_," Marian affirmed. "If I'm not mistaken, I believe I also heard a colorful word shortly after the thud."

The scolding note in her voice was not lost on Harold, and he had the good grace to look chagrined. "I apologize, Madam Librarian," he murmured. "I sometimes forget there are little ears around the house these days." He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her closer for a kiss, but then stopped, as his mind registered the silence that surrounded them, which was a most unusual occurrence since their son had learned to talk. Curious, he looked to Marian for clarification. "Speaking of little ears, is Eli asleep?"

Marian's lips parted into a smile and she shook her head. "I would imagine he's managed to convince his grandmother to allow him to stay awake as long as Winthrop does."

"Did I hear you correctly?" Harold asked, his eyes widening in surprised delight. "Are you telling me we have the house to ourselves?"

"That's _not_ what I said, Professor Hill," Marian laughed and swatted at his arm, eyes sparkling with amorous mischief. "But yes, I would imagine we do."

Sliding his arm around her waist, Harold pulled her to him for a soft kiss. "Would it scandalize you if I suggested we take advantage of the opportunity afforded us?" he murmured after they parted. He waited as Marian gazed thoughtfully at him, her desire evident in the heated gaze with which she regarded him. When she didn't immediately answer, he leaned forward and captured her lips again, this time lingering longer. Marian's arms stole around his neck as she returned his embrace, her mouth parting beneath his in a silent entreaty for him to deepen their kiss.

When Harold released her several moments later, he stared breathlessly at his wife, satisfied beyond words that she had, indeed, apparently missed him as much as he had her. Reaching down to capture her hand between his, he raised it to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers as his lips traced soft kisses along her palm. Marian returned his gaze, her longing for him clearly evident. When his tongue followed the same path his lips had taken, Marian shuddered and released a shaky sigh.

"Perhaps we should retire to the bedroom."

"That's too far away, my dear," Harold informed her with a devilish smile and then laughed when Marian looked at him in scandalized surprise. "I have a feeling we won't be making it upstairs for quite some time," he admitted before taking his wife by the hand and leading her into the parlor. He didn't make it very far before Marian stopped and turned to press her lips against his in a heated kiss. Although startled by his wife's unexpected affection, he quickly recovered and drew her tightly against him. Marian broke away and buried her face in the crook of his neck, uttering a low moan when his fingers sank into her softly rounded curves. Harold could almost sense her desperation when her hands clutched at his shoulders, as she swayed with him back and forth while he caressed her through her gown.

The music professor had always prided himself on being an attentive and thoughtful lover to his wife. Her desires and needs were always at the forefront of his mind as they made love. But tonight, he found his restraint being sorely tested. After two weeks away from Marian and their bedroom delights, he was eager to taste experience his wife's sweet embrace once more. He had missed falling asleep next to her at night and waking to find her cuddled beside him every morning. Now, as Marian insistently pressed her hips against him, her body soft and warm beneath his hands, he had the strong urge to indulge his desires and forego the usual niceties. After his initial passion had been sated, he could easily whisk Marian away to their bedroom and spend the rest of the night ensuring her every desire was fulfilled and then some.

A grin tugged at the corners of Harold's mouth as he contemplated the tempting thought, but a moment later, when Marian quietly confessed her desire, his amusement vanished and was replaced by a sharp sense of longing. As satisfying as it would be to feel his wife's nakedness against him right now, Harold suddenly realized it wasn't enough. He wanted to hear Marian moan his name in that seductive, low tone she only used when they made love. Images of her arching beneath him danced through his mind. He needed to feel her writhe against him in passionate abandon as he teased her with his hands and lips until she cried out in pleasure and collapsed in his arms.

At this thought, Harold found it hard to swallow, and it took a few attempts before he was able to do so. With fidgeting hands, Harold reached for the opening of his wife's nightgown and made quick work of the many fastenings there. As he did, he dipped his head until his lips found the sensitive skin of Marian's throat, and he indulged in gentle love bites while he slid the thin material off her shoulders and down her body. When the unnecessary garment pooled at her feet, Harold reached down and swept his wife into his arms, his lips never leaving her throat. Marian giggled at his actions, but her laughter quickly changed to moans when Harold began to nibble lower. Feeling pleased with himself, he gently placed Marian in his favorite chair, and gave her a devilish grin when she shot him a questioning look. Kneeling before her, he trailed his hands along the tops of her thighs and then down along her calves, his fingers gliding across her legs as he dipped his head and bestowed heated kisses along her inner thigh.

He saw his wife's eyes widen slightly when his fingers closed around her upper thigh, but then his mouth was upon her, eagerly welcoming her familiar taste, and he heard a sigh fall from her lips. Harold languidly teased her with his mouth and hands in the ways he had discovered brought her pleasure. As his lips moved along her warm skin, he tenderly stroked her with gentle hands, his fingers slipping inside her, and he delighted in her moans, which were growing louder and more intense as he continued his passionate explorations.

As Marian twisted above him, Harold felt his own arousal increasing. Marian sighed when he pressed his tongue against her and then she was arching against him, her fingers threading through his hair, pulling him closer as she cried out in dazed pleasure. Harold turned his head and smiled into her smooth thigh. He had never prolonged their prelude to lovemaking this long; he couldn't contain the thrilling sense of satisfaction that roared through him as his wife's heated moans floated past his ears. Bringing a hand up to caress her, he gently nipped at her skin again, and her breathless gasps gave way to wordless moans and then whispered entreaties for him to continue. The faint strains of her voice, words uttered in a deliciously heated tone, sent desire coursing through Harold, and he increased his ministrations, desperate to show Marian exactly how much he had missed her.

His teasing fingertips danced lightly along her smooth skin, dipping ever so slightly and then withdrawing when her breath caught as his warm finger delicately parted her soft folds and glided upwards at a maddeningly slow pace.

"Harold," she softly pleaded and gazed down at him with quiet desperation. He could see the passion building in her hazel eyes, and he wanted nothing more than to hear that passion echo throughout the room as she cried out his name.

Thrilled by the longing in her voice, Harold lowered his head to resume his earlier explorations, and then Marian was lost once more as his lips began to open and close around her, his tongue darting out to trace exquisite patterns against her slick flesh. He could feel her tremble beneath him as he expressed his love for her without words. Her breathless gasps inflamed him, and when Marian's hips rose from the cushion as she frantically sought release, Harold slid an arm across them and continued to shower her with skilled affection. Her pleading moans filled the quiet parlor, eliciting a satisfied smile from him, and then suddenly, Marian was shuddering against him, her hands clenched tightly in his hair, his name falling from her lips over and over until it tapered off into breathless gasps.

Harold grinned in satisfaction, and as Marian's breathing slowly returned to normal, he dropped several kisses along her thigh, sighing in pleasure as his wife's fingers trailed through his disheveled locks – Marian had a delightful habit of thoroughly mussing his hair when she surrendered herself to passion. Feeling his own longing intensify as she bestowed loving affection upon him, Harold slowly stood and began to loosen his tie. A comfortable silence settled upon the parlor, broken only by Marian's occasional sigh as the pleasant aftereffects of Harold's ministrations resonated through her.

Whereas Marian would have once averted her eyes from her husband as he undressed, she now boldly gazed upon him with avid interest as he hurriedly removed his shirt and stepped out of his trousers. Harold felt his heart hammer wildly in anticipation as Marian's eyes roamed across his naked form, and he was suddenly unsure as to how best love his darling wife. He was tempted to take her place in the arm chair and settle her on top of him. He could still recall their honeymoon in Des Moines when she had sat on his lap that third night, the fire roaring behind them as they softly confessed their love for one another, reconciling his past with their future. It had taken all his restraint to not make love to her right there in the armchair. But at the time, he wasn't certain that his blushing bride was ready for such activities. Certainly during the last six years, he had introduced his lovely wife to the many pleasures and locations lovemaking could include. But he still hesitated, wondering if what he had in mind would be too much for his wife's proper sensibilities.

As Harold regarded her in silent contemplation, Marian rose and stepped into his arms. Harold's eyes slid shut at the sensation of his wife's smooth warmth against his own skin. If he wasn't careful, Marian would end up seducing him tonight and that was not what he had envisioned for their time together. When she began to place seductive kisses along his neck, Harold knew he had to take control, so with considerable effort, he moved away from her enticing mouth.

"You certainly know how to tempt a man, my dear little librarian." His remark was meant to be playful, but it came out in a strained voice. Harold knew Marian noticed, because her eyes darkened with desire. Gazing at him thoughtfully, she settled herself on the arm of the chair and opened her arms to him.

"Oh Marian, how I've missed you," Harold murmured as he stepped closer and reverently ran his palm along her bare hip, his eyes bright with emotion. He was once again reminded of their honeymoon, when he had uttered those same words after they'd spent a day apart because of a misunderstanding. That time, they'd both been in Des Moines, but Harold couldn't help remembering the love and longing with which he'd revealed his heart to her as he earnestly confessed his feelings and she returned his sentiments with her own. His heart tightened when he realized that five years hadn't diminished the intensity of his feelings for his wife, nor apparently had it lessened hers for him.

Harold's eyes never left Marian's as he stepped between her thighs, gauging her reaction as he prepared to make love to her in a most-unconventional fashion. But Marian steadily returned his gaze with a heated look of her own, causing his desire to flare up again. Brazenly she wrapped her leg around his waist and pulled him closer.

"Why, Madam Librarian!" Harold cried in mock scandal.

"Why, Professor Hill," Marian returned in a low voice.

Harold regarded his wife with a cheeky smile. Running a hand along her hip, he slid his fingers beneath her thigh. "How long did you say Eli would be at your mother's?"

Marian arched an eyebrow and gave him a seductive smile in return. "I didn't say, but I imagine he won't return until early afternoon."

Grinning widely, Harold leaned down and placed his lips against his wife's slender neck. "Good," he murmured between kisses. "I've missed you, darling, and I have a feeling it might take me several hours to properly show you how much."

Marian's eyes briefly slid shut at this provocative statement. When she re-opened them, the passion there gleamed brightly. Harold felt his heart skip a beat when she gave him a heated glance and tightened her leg around his hip. Drawing him closer, she touched her lips to his ear and whispered, "I think it might take longer than that, darling. You're not the only one who intends to make up for lost time tonight." Her teeth gently nipped at his earlobe, and she giggled. "Do you think we'll even make it to our bedroom?"

Groaning, Harold pressed forward, taking delight in Marian's soft sighs when he finally entered her. Drawing back, he gazed into her eyes. "Later," he promised before capturing her lips with his.


	2. Epilogue: Unexpected Dividends

Harold Hill sat in stunned silence, absorbing the scene before him, but when the newborn uttered a tiny cry, he sprang forward to stroke her smooth brow, cooing soft words of comfort. As the little girl quieted under her father's gentle hand, Harold looked back to Marian and beamed with unadulterated joy.

"She's perfect," he whispered in wonderment. His gazed shifted between Marian's shining countenance and the tiny bundle ensconced in her arms several times before announcing, "You're perfect."

Marian's eyes filled with tears as she smiled back at him, and Harold imagined he could almost see the happiness radiating from his dear wife as she pressed the little girl they never thought they'd have closer to her.

"I'm far from perfect, Professor Hill," she admonished with a wry smile, "but I'd be hard pressed to disagree about our daughter," she laughed, and the joy contained in that sound warmed Harold's heart.

After the happiness that had been introduced to them with Eli's birth, he and Marian had desperately tried for another child. Their efforts were rewarded a mere seven months later when Marian gleefully informed Harold he would be a father again. But after a heartbreaking miscarriage at four months and three more years of failed efforts to conceive again, they had resigned themselves to the fact that they would be blessed with only one child. It had taken Marian longer than her husband to accept the inevitable truth and while she dealt with it, she refrained from their lovemaking. It broke Harold's heart to not be allowed to love his wife in that most intimate way, but he knew Marian would eventually return to his arms when she had dealt with her sorrow. Ever the patient man, he quietly waited, providing her with the support and comfort she needed in order to heal. Soft conversations often preceded silent tears and heavy sighs, but after several months, Harold could sense his wife's pain lessening, and Marian's spirits slowly began to brighten. Desperate to lighten his wife's burden , he had taken her in his arms one evening and teasingly informed her that since it appeared they were to be blessed with only their small son, he would embrace the opportunity afforded him to love his wife whenever they chose without any fear of possible repercussions. At first, Marian's initial silence unnerved him, and he thought his lighthearted attempt to diffuse her sadness might have been perceived as callous. But after a moment's hesitation, laughter illuminated his wife's eyes and she leaned into his embrace, offering her lips to him by way of agreement. That night, Harold made love to his wife slowly, savoring every moment. His lips and hands trailed along her body until she cried out in breathless abandon and when he finally moved within her, he did so reverently.

After that evening, Marian no longer refrained from that aspect of their marriage, and Harold rejoiced that he was once again able to properly love his wife. He took even more pleasure when she began to initiate the occasional tryst, because it seemed to him that she was truly putting her disappointment behind her. Their lovemaking, which had always been passionate, seemed to increase in fervor as the two explored the freedoms afforded them now that they knew they would no longer conceive. Locations and frequency expanded, and Harold took delight in introducing Marian to fantasies he secretly harbored.

The night he returned home from Des Moines, he had finally acted on a long-held desire, which had originated during their honeymoon: to shower Marian with affection as she sat with him before an open fire in their parlor. Her enthusiastic response to his suggestion had initially taken him aback, but he quickly recovered and made love to his wife several times in his favorite chair. The next morning when Harold awoke, he discovered Marian nestled in his arms, a blanket draped over her bare skin, both of them still ensconced in his chair. Unable to contain the smile that spread across his face, he remained there for several minutes, content to observe her steady breathing. But eventually, he acknowledged the merit of their bed, so quietly rising, he carried his slumbering librarian to their room and placed her beneath the warm quilt that lay across their bed before retiring to the washroom to freshen up. When he returned, Marian still lay sleeping. As he gazed fondly at her, Harold couldn't contain the chuckle that escaped him when he recalled her ecstatic response to his arrival. He briefly contemplated taking another trip in the near future simply to experience it again, and then grinned as he pictured Marian's disapproving frown. _Best not to tempt fate_. Leaning down, Harold brushed his lips across her smooth brow and softly crept from the room, content to let his exhausted wife recover.

After that night, Harold took to expressing his desire for Marian even more frequently than before, and although he experienced an occasional tinge of sadness whenever he contemplated his son being an only child, the music professor felt a heady sense of euphoria from knowing he could love his wife as freely and often as they chose without any fear of consequence.

Therefore, it had come as quite the shock when Marian informed him she was once again expecting.

Harold had returned home from the Emporium one chilly February evening to find Marian waiting for him in the hallway, a mysterious smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, and her hands tucked behind her back. Ever since his return from Des Moines four months ago, his wife had taken to greeting him with an affectionate hello when Eli was nearby and an extremely ardent one if their inquisitive son was out of sight. So it was a bit unnerving to find her waiting for him with a mischievous smile instead of giving him her usual kiss. She quietly waited as he unwound the scarf from his neck and peeled the damp gloves from his fingers. When he returned his coat to the hanger in the hallway closet and placed his hat on the peg near the door, he turned to her and regarded her with a quizzical stare.

"Darling?" he asked uncertainly when she made no move to embrace him. "Is anything the matter?"

Marian shook her head, and her smile grew wider.

Harold stepped closer. "Why so mysterious then?" he laughed, relief threading through his voice. He leaned to the side, trying to peer behind her back. "And what are you hiding?"

In response, Marian smiled broadly and brought her hands around to reveal an exquisitely crocheted lace infant bib in one hand and a tiny pair of crocheted baby booties in the other. Harold simply gazed at her, puzzled.

"Why do you have Eli's bib and boots?" he asked without thinking, but stopped short when the significance of the diminutive booties in his wife's palm and her enigmatic smile finally registered in his mind. Harold felt his stomach give a queer flip-flop, and he looked back to her for confirmation. When she nodded her head, he brought a hand to his open mouth and rubbed his suddenly-dry lips.

"Marian. I don't know what to say." His voice trailed off in wonder and he simply stared at her.

"I understand," she assured him. "It took me the better part of the morning to come to terms with it myself." Her expression grew concerned, and she placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Harold, are you all right?"

"I'm … surprised," he slowly admitted, but then covered her hand with his. "Elated," he immediately clarified. "Just … surprised." He gazed at her again, and his heart began to fill with delight. "How did this … I thought you couldn't …"

"I know. Neither did I." Happiness radiated from Marian's eyes, and Harold witnessed a joy that had long been absent from his dear wife's countenance. Ecstatic, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, capturing her mouth in a heated kiss. Marian immediately wound her arms around his neck, and his hands roamed along her soft curves, caressing her through the fabric of her gown, pressing her against him, his own body responding when she shifted her hips against his while her fingers threaded through his brown locks. When her soft lips threatened to slip away, Harold groaned in frustration and opened his mouth over hers, deepening their embrace. He felt Marian shudder in his arms, and he realized that unless they slowed things down, he would end up making love to his wife in their front hallway – and that was certainly _not_ what he wanted for the mother of his children. Abruptly pulling away from their kiss, he grew still in Marian's arms.

_Children_.

He and Marian were going to have another child.

"Harold?" Marian looked at him uncertainly, her lips still swollen from his kisses. Her eyes filled with confusion at the unexpected change in her husband's demeanor.

Realizing how suddenly he had ended their embrace, Harold smiled and an apologized. "I'm sorry, Marian. I was taken aback when I realized you're the mother of my _children._" The note of glee in his voice could not be contained, and Marian beamed at him.

"I understand," she murmured. "I feel the same way," she confessed and placed a hand over her stomach. Harold looked down at her still-flat belly and then raised his eyes to hers.

"How long?"

"Almost four months," she whispered. There was a hope in her eyes that Harold instantly understood.

"Four months," he repeated. He cast his thoughts back over the last four months and his eyes widened when he realized the significance of that timeframe.

But Marian spoke before he could even ask the question.

"Des Moines," she confirmed with a twinkle in her eye and then giggled when a satisfied grin broke across his face. "Honestly, Harold, you don't have to look so smug," she scolded, but the laughter in her own eyes belied her admonition.

Beaming, Harold pulled her close again. "It's not smugness, darling. It's masculine pride," he teased.

"_Harold Hill!_"

But her rebuke was lost when Harold scooped her up into his arms and whisked her to their bedroom for a private celebration, and when the festivities concluded several hours later, Marian seemed content to allow him a moment of masculine pride, which only served to increase his self satisfaction.

However, watching his wife now as she cradled their precious Elizabeth Margaret Hill, Harold could hardly reconcile that it had been a mere five months since Marian had joyfully informed him he would once again become a father. The time had passed quickly, and for that, Harold was grateful. Although they had taken great delight in Marian's news, a tinge of fear was rooted in the back of both their minds, and it hovered in the shadows of their happiness. Harold was certain he'd never experienced so great a relief as he had when he heard Beth's healthy cries or Marians' joyful exclamation when she beheld her daughter for the first time.

Now, as he placed his large finger inside his little girl's tiny palm, Harold felt his heart constrict as her small fingers tightened around his. He had known no greater pride when Dr. Pyne announced Harold had a son to carry on the family name, but a daughter … a daughter was something else entirely. He wasn't sure how well a father a former conman – and a womanizing one at that – could be to a precious and innocent little girl, but he knew he was going to try his best. Professor Harold Hill could do anything once he set his sights on it, and this was a goal he would pursue relentlessly. Noting Marian's watchful gaze, Harold carefully leaned in closer and pressed his lips against his sleeping daughter's cheek.

"You _are_ perfect, my little darling, and I promise to be the best father I can," he vowed. "I won't let anyone ever harm my little Beth."

When he raised his head, he found Marian gazing at him with glistening eyes and a shaky smile, and feeling his own eyes moisten, he looked away blinking quickly a few times before returning his gaze to his wife. His throat tightened with emotion, and it took him a few moments before he could tell Marian what was in his heart.

"She's beautiful, darling. I can't believe she's really here."

Marian regarded him with knowing eyes. "I know." Then, she smiled and a mischievous smile curled the edge of her mouth.

"What is it?" Harold asked.

"_Beth_?" Marian questioned.

"Beth."

"_Elizabeth_."

"Exactly … _Beth_."

Marian rolled her eyes and pulled her daughter closer. "Harold Hill, you are not going to emerge victorious this time!"

Laughing, Harold leaned down. "Of course not, darling," he agreed before showering his daughter and wife with affectionate kisses until the two began to fall asleep.

As Harold watched the women in his life drift off into peaceful slumber, he smiled contentedly and then grinned mischievously. He might not win the argument today, but he had plenty of time in which to secure his victory now that little Beth was in their lives.


End file.
